AI kick off Concrete Rugby initiative
Aggregate Industries and Leicester Tigers launch schools programme to promote healthier lifestyles
LEICESTERSHIRE-based Aggregate Industries have partnered with the Leicester Tigers to create ‘Concrete Rugby’, an innovative community programme aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle, teamwork and self-confidence among young people across the Midlands.
Concrete Rugby delivers a five-week programme to Leicester city centre and Leicestershire high-school children, teaching them how to play touch or contact rugby, allowing the game to be played on any surface.
The programme will provide a positive, exciting opportunity for young people to adopt an active lifestyle, to experience a new sport and learn new skills, spreading the ethos of teamwork, respect, discipline and sportsmanship.
2014 figures from the Health Survey for England found that 31.2% of children aged 2–15 were classed as either overweight or obese, and so the training will focus on the importance of staying active for better health, and how that can be done in a fun way through rugby.
Reaching more than 1,000 children throughout the season, the training will be split in two, starting with a hands-on, PE-style rugby coaching session promoting the benefits of sports and a healthy lifestyle to encourage the enjoyment of exercise.
This will be followed by a desk-based lesson which will give the team the chance to discuss a wide range of issues, from healthy eating, drugs, road safety, how to be safe online, and the dangers of peer pressure.
The programme was officially launched at the home game of Leicester Tigers against Harlequins on Sunday 20 November. Earlier in the day, members of Leicester Tigers held a session of touch rugby with pupils from Queen Elizabeth College.
Aggregate Industries’ chief executive officer, François Petry (pictured), commented: ‘At Aggregate Industries, health and safety underpins everything we do. Ensuring a safe environment for our colleagues and encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle is our number one priority as a business.
‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with Leicester Tigers. As a local company, we pride ourselves on playing an active and valuable role in the community. We’ve already had some initial sessions at local schools, with a good mix of boys and girls participating, and the feedback has been very positive. We are delighted with the results so far and look forward to an exciting year ahead.’
Leicester Tigers’ chief executive, Simon Cohen, added: ‘We are delighted to renew our relationship with Aggregate Industries and to launch a new programme which we both feel will play a big part in the community, promoting the ethos of the game of rugby and bringing the game to young people who may not have had the opportunity before.’
Councillor Nick Rushton, leader of Leicestershire County Council, who was present at the official launch event, said: ‘We have all seen the figures on the increasing rate of child obesity and the lack of physical education, and it’s our duty to put initiatives such as this in place to help educate youngsters on living a healthy and active lifestyle. I congratulate Aggregate Industries and Leicester Tigers on their efforts.’
